The Apparel Effect

The power of clothes, emotion, and perception

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There is a power on how we choose to dress everyday and what it communicates to the world. When it comes to deciding what you are going to wear for the day, there is a relationship between the clothes we chose and our emotional state. Luna Blanco, a student in Boston, had an interview with a prestigious high school. She was entirely aware of her outstanding academic performance and overconfidence, but she missed to regard her appearance. To her surprise, she was rejected from the school she tried very hard to get accepted into. The following year, she reapplied, however, she polished her appearance in an outfit that made her feel confident to convey her sharp personality, and was fortunately accepted this time. This illustrates how the way we dress in a certain environments can impact how one is perceived.

This makes us believe — How do the clothes we wear affect our behavior and the behavior of others?

Confidence

According to psychology professor at Brigham Young University, Robert Ridge, “There definitely can be a connection between how people dress and how they feel. The more you like your appearance, the more confident you can be.” To emphasize, A survey conducted in 2014 by a Kia manufacturer asked what made women and men feel more confident. Most women replied with high heels, a little black dress, and a designer perfume. For men, it included a freshly shaved face, a fine suit, and a nice smelling aftershave. The effect in which clothing has on mental process is called enclothed cognition. When it comes to different occasions, people wear different things to make them feel more confident. For example, Ellen Hoggard on Happiful writes,

“When I walk into work wearing a great pair of jeans, a shirt, boots, and a trench coat, I feel like I have my life together” and “Comfort is the key when it comes to putting together an outfit that makes you feel strong and confident.”

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Performance

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Clothing doesn’t just affect your confidence level, it affects your success. A Yale professor conducted a study which showed that men in suits negotiated better than other people wearing sweatpants and flip flops. Students who wore more formal clothing performed better when it came to creative and organizational tasks. People who wore business suits performed better because they created dominance over the person with whom they were negotiating. Correspondingly, a research study called the Lab Coat Study was held where two groups of people were given white coats. However, the first group was told that it was a doctor’s coat while the second group was told that it was a painter’s coat. The results revealed that the first group did better overall when it came to their attention levels and performing tasks.

Impressions

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Business Insider explains, “Clothing significantly influences how others perceive you and how they respond to you.” A study was conducted where more than 300 adults both men and women looked at images of men and women for three seconds before making judgements about them. In some of the pictures, a man wore a made-to-measure suit, while in others he wore a similar off-the-peg. After the three seconds, people rated the man with the bespoke suit as more confident, successful, flexible, and higher earner. This signifies that clothing can show power, influence, intelligence, and salary. University of Hertfordshire professor, Karen Pine, a connoisseur in fashion psychology reveals, “We know our clothes affect other people’s impressions of us. Now research shows what we wear affects us too. Putting on different clothes creates different thoughts and mental processes… clothes can change [our] mood and thoughts.” In a study where 100 women were asked what they chose to wear when feeling depressed, more than half chose jeans and a baggy top. 90% admitted that they neglect any clothing that made them confident when they were under stress. Only 2% of the women said they would wear baggy clothing when they’re happy.

Associations

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Often, it is not the clothes we wear that determine our feelings and attitudes, but what we associate with them. Color specialist, Leatrice Eiseman, describes how the roles that colors play in nature connect to how we associate them, “The colour blue is almost always associated with blue skies… a positive thing. Evolutionarily it also means there are no storms to come. This is why it reminds us of stability and calm.” This implies that by wearing soothing colors, we feel calmer. We make certain associations with clothing colors and emotions. For example, red is associated with passion, so when someone wears red, they demonstrate power and are conspicuous among everyone else. Politicians and public speakers are often seen wearing a red tie. Black gives the impression of power, mystery, professionalism. Managers or people with higher positions are encouraged to wear black. Sports teams who wear black are typically seen as more aggressive. Dark colors such as black and grey are also more formal. Other colors such as yellow are associated with happiness, optimism, and youth. Green is associated with healing, success, and hope. Purple with royalty, spirituality, and luxury. Brown with stability, nature, and reliability. Orange with energy, fun, and warmth. Lastly, white with purity, cleanliness, and innocence.

Identity

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Founder and editor-in-chief of the website Fashion is Psychology, Shakaila Forbes-Bell, explains, “Research has found that we all have a dynamic relationship with clothing that impacts the three different ways we view ourselves: the person you want to be, the person you hope to be, and the person you fear to be.”

Growing up, Maya Tafur, a student in Miami, always had trouble finding clothes that felt like her. Her parents were divorced, so her mom was always the person who taught her everything she knew about fashion. However, with a single dad at the time that she spent half her life with, he was clueless in that sense. He would always buy her clothing items from the boy’s section, which made her mad because she loved everything pink and super girly.

I loved playing with American Girl Dolls and Barbies, but I had a huge tom-boy phase because I got it from my dad.”

However, she was entirely unaware that a quick trip to Paris with her dad in the future would change her perspective on clothing and identity. “We were looking at shoes in this shoe store in Paris and the only thing my dad would buy me were sneakers because that’s all he knew. So, he was going through the men’s section and I was going through the girl’s section and remember finding these cute sneakers that were glittery and had stars on them. I loved those shoes because it brought me to the idea of its ok to mix and match things as long as I feel like I am expressing myself.” This illustrates how teenagers have a need to express themselves and create their unique identity through the clothes they wear. For instance, Billie Eilish isn’t your average pop star. She is famously known for her iconic and unique style of baggy clothes that break stereotypes. She shows her authenticity by choosing to not reveal her body due to insecurities and focus on her talent. She made a statement by creating a new style which encouraged women with body image issues to express themselves. Billie Eilish reveals that there is a reason why she wears baggy clothes. She does not want to be judged or sexualized.

“That’s why I wear baggy clothes,” She states.

“Nobody can have an opinion, because they haven’t seen what’s underneath.”

Interestingly, in a Miami concert for her world tour, she previewed an impactful video of her taking off her shirt saying strong phrases. Both Maya and Billie reflect teenagers’ search for creating their identity through clothes.

Given these points, it is certain that we choose to dress based on our emotions which affects our performance, and the way people perceive us. Have fun with it, but always be mindful if you want to create the right impression. I believe that at the end of the day, confidence comes from within, but an outfit can accentuate it.